Brave survivor's secret emoji code with sister for whenever controlling boyfriend turned nasty
A man has been jailed after subjecting his partner to a relentless two-year campaign of violence and abuse.
Jack Dawson, 29, was so violent towards his partner she even set up a secret codeword emoji with her sister to let her know when he was being abusive. Judge Colin Burn said in one terrifying attack, Dawson pinned down his partner and threatened to take out one of her eyes.
Prosecutor Daniel Lee read out a victim statement which said his victim had been beaten into silence for years. In a victim impact statement, she told the court: "This was a dark secret I kept for years which is now in the open."
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Dawson, from Smith House Drive, Hove Edge, Brighouse, pleaded guilty to a charge of controlling and coercive behaviour from early 2022 to June 2024. He also admitted to a separate allegation of inflicting grievous bodily hard following an attack at the Black Bull pub in Brighouse in December 2023.
Mr Lee said the victim had been out with work colleagues when Dawson, who he did not know, punched him. He said he felt a "massive thud" to the side of his face before he became disoriented.
While bleeding, he was helped home but he woke up in extreme pain the next day and a hospital scan revealed he had fractures to his eye socket and nose. The man did not need surgery, but his victim impact statement revealed he had suffered nerve damage to the right side of his face and it still felt numb.
Barrister Camille Morland, representing Dawson, said his behaviour went downhill after he began to abuse drink and cocaine. She said her client had misread the situation in the pub and delivered one punch.
Judge Burn said both offences were very serious and both victims had suffered psychological and physical damage. He also said Dawson had been responsible for a "lengthy campaign" of violence and domestic abuse towards his partner.
The judge also said the threat to "take one of her eyes out" would have been terrifying. Judge Burn jailed Dawson for three years ando imposed a ten-year restraining order which bans any contact between Dawson and his ex-partner.